2024 Inductees to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Include Two Georgia Favorites

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t the only HOF available to the world’s top musicians. The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame isn’t associated with a location like Cleveland, but rather a group of people dedicated to both honoring the world’s greatest songwriters, and nurturing up-and-coming writers for future generations. There are two new Georgia inductees on this year’s list.

This year’s Georgia inductees are Athen’s own R.E.M., and Georgia native Hillary Lindsey.

R.E.M. is an Athens, Georgia classic and 2007 entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But if you’re a longtime, casual fan like me you may be thinking, does the whole band deserve the writer’s honor or just Michael Stype and and Peter Buck? The answer may surprise you, but “Berry, Buck, Mills, and Stipe” are credited with writing just about every song in the band’s catalog. A true rock band collaboration, which is quite special. (The Beatle’s inductees are McCartney and Lennon.)

Often times great songwriters aren’t known as great performers, and as such aren’t always a part of the collective consciousness. Hillary Lindsey may not be a household name, but you’d probably recognize a good number of her songs. “Million Reasons” and “A-Yo” by Lady Gaga, “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood, and “Blessed” by Martina McBride.

Other 2024 inductees include Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Trivia question. Can you name Steely Dan’s original drummer? It’s none other than SNL’s and National Lampoon’s own Chevy Chase!

This year’s Songwriter’s Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on June 13th in New York City.